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Parker 99R review

I have been shaving with a DE safety razor for a year and a half now and only had 1 razor in my collection, an Edwin Jagger DE89, so I decided it was time to try something new. I am a big guy (6’5” / 230lbs) so I wanted something longer and heavier. The idea of a butterfly head instead of something I have to take apart all the time also appealed to me. This lead me to the new Parker 99R for which I could not find many reviews so I decided to take a chance and I am glad I did.

The first thing I noticed when I took it out of the box was the weight and length. At 3.2 oz and 4” long this thing was a beast compared to my EJ. Not unwieldy or awkward, but it was a substantial razor. Fit and finish was great. It looks like they paid a lot of attention to detail when designing this razor. I couldn’t wait to run into the bathroom, pop in a new feather blade and shave away.

Once I put in the blade I inspected the gaps and alignment closely, everything was straight and symmetrical, I was very pleased. I lathered up and took my first stroke, it glided across my skin and did not even feel like I was cutting the hairs, upon closer inspection I was not. The blade on the 99R only protruded from the head about ˝ as far as the EJ making shaving angle much more important. I relathered and slowed down to make sure I had a good angle and took another stroke. It still felt like I was not cutting, WTH, but this time all of the hairs were gone. I could not believe how smooth this was. I completed my first pass and it definitely gave a closer shave than the EJ.

It took a couple of days to get use to the stricter angle requirements but once I got it down I had a much closer and smoother shave.

I would not recommend this razor as someone’s first since it does need some knowhow and experience to get it right, but WOW!!! I can’t believe how great the shave was and as a second or 50th razor I would say it is a must have.

I also have a '99R and I agree with the review: heavy, substantial, well-built (particularly compared to previous Parkers) and shaves suprisingly well. My only nit is that its not quite as well balanced as other razors; its a bit bottom-heavy. It won't tear me away from my beloved Progress, but its a decent razor.

I also purchase the Parker 99R and I am a 6' 5" guy mayself. The long handle appealed to me and I really love this razor. I used to use the Schick Hydro 5, but after a small learning curve, get a much closer shave with the DE Parker 99R.